1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to overheated steam ovens and methods of controlling the overheated steam ovens and, more particularly, to an overheated steam oven and a method of controlling the overheated steam oven to clean an interior of a cooking cavity of the overheated steam oven using hot water and overheated steam.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an overheated steam oven is a cooking apparatus to heat and cook food placed in a cooking cavity thereof using heat of overheated steam discharged from an overheated steam generator into the cooking cavity. Since the overheated steam discharged from the overheated steam generator into the cooking cavity heats the food, the overheated steam oven evenly heats and cooks the food, which is different from other types of cooking apparatuses. Thus, the overheated steam oven prevents the food from being partially burned. Furthermore, the overheated steam oven easily controls a cooking temperature in the cooking cavity by controlling a temperature and a volume of the overheated steam discharged into the cooking cavity. Since oxidation of the food does not occur, the overheated steam oven has an advantage in that the cooked food has a better taste.
However, in the conventional overheated steam oven, which cooks food placed in the cooking cavity thereof, it is problematic in that the inner surface of the cooking cavity is contaminated by the food, because parts of the food drop below into the cooking cavity when users place and remove the food into and from the cooking cavity, or the food contained in cooking vessels placed in the cooking cavity boils over during cooking operations. Accordingly, the users must sometimes clean the inner surface of the cooking cavity of the overheated steam oven to maintain a cleanness of the cooking cavity of the overheated steam oven. However, in the conventional overheated steam oven, because the food contaminating the cooking cavity is dried and stuck on the inner surface of the cooking cavity by heat of the overheated steam, it is problematic in that the users may have a difficult time removing the parts of the food which drop below into the cooking cavity, while cleaning the inner surface of the cooking cavity of the conventional overheated steam oven.